No. 5 Houston’s well balanced attack beats No. 2 UVA

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.– Blowing a 15-point lead in the second half against No. 4 Alabama a week ago got the attention of No. 5 Houston’s players. Coach Kelvin Sampson made certain of it.It may have helped the Cougars stymie a resurgence by No. 2 Virginia on Saturday.Jarace Walker scored 17 points, and Houston used runs in each half and the country’s best scoring defense to beat the Cavaliers 69-61. The Cougars scored on three straight possessions after a take and layup by Kihei Clark brought a sellout crowd dressed in orange to its feet, exhorting Virginia to rely on its own defense to complete the comeback. “I’m uncertain we have the ability to do that without the Alabama experience,”Sampson said.After Clark pulled

the Cavaliers within 54-48, Jamal Shead scored on a drive, Tramon Mark hit a 3-pointer, and Walker made a hard fadeaway to keep the Cavaliers at bay.”Just keeping our composure when you get a big lead and simply be mature and try not to go away from what we’ve been doing, which we did against Alabama,”J’Wan Roberts stated. “We view movie, and we learn. We grew from that.”Marcus Sasser and Mark each included 13 points for the Cougars( 11-1), who utilized a 10-2 run early in the second half to open a 40-30 lead. Virginia(8-1), playing for the first time in 11 days, never got closer than six once again, and each time the Cougars answered.The Cavaliers shot 41.7%(20-for-48). Coach Tony Bennett said when shots aren’t falling, that makes the quality of play on the protective end even more important.”Today they clearly made the most of our breakdowns and scored, “Bennett said.” Today the tougher, sounder team on the defensive end

won the game.”Kadin Shedrick scored 16 points, and Jayden Gardner had 13 for the Cavaliers, who were hoping to avenge a 67-47 loss in 2015 on the Cougars

‘home flooring. Houston became the highest-ranked nonconference opponent ever to play Virginia in Charlottesville.Clark’s steal and layup pulled Virginia within 56-50 with 2:55 to play, but Mark addressed with a 3-pointer for the Cougars, who shot 49 %( 25-for-51)against a defense ranked

12th nationally, permitting 57.9 points per game.The Cavaliers near to within 30-28 on Gardner’s basket to open the second half, however the Cougars went on their run, with Walker contributing a three-point play and 3-pointer in the spurt

, to lead 40-30. Virginia scored the first 9 points and led 15-7 prior to going cold. The Cougars outscored them 17-4 over more than 10 minutes to lead 26-19. Houston led 30-26 at halftime.Rarity The Cavaliers are the highest-ranked

group Houston has dealt with throughout the routine season considering that it fulfilled No. 1 Memphis on Feb. 13, 2008. Poll Ramifications The Cavaliers are likely to fall, however not really far, and Houston’s triumph on

the roadway is likely to make voters nearly forget its 71-65 loss to Alabama a week ago when the Cougars were No. 1 and the Crimson Tide were ranked eighth.Big Picture Houston

: The Cougars arrived with one player, Sasser(16.2), scoring in double figures but had 5 do it against the Cavaliers. Shead scored 11, and Roberts had 10. Virginia: The Cavaliers got guard Reece Beekman back after he suffered a hamstring injury in their previous game.

Beekman worked defensively but did not demonstrate the explosive power driving to the basket that typifies his offending game.” He didn’t quite have his burst. I believed he was respectable defensively, not quite as explosive offensively and most likely a little fatigued since he hasn’t done much,”Bennett stated, adding that Beekman barely has practiced considering that the injury.Up Next The Cougars return home to face McNeese on Wednesday night.The Cavaliers go on the road to face No. 25 Miami on Tuesday night.